Why does chardonnay still have a bad reputation? | Fiona Beckett on drinks
The other day I tasted a brilliant chardonnay. Australian, not French in this case, even if he could easily have passed for a Meursault. It was crafted by Virginia Willcock of Vasse Felix, located in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, who made a specialty of the variety, and it was her premium Heytesbury Chardonnay.
In an ideal world I would like anyone who is skeptical of Chardonnay, especially Australian Chardonnay, to taste Willcock's, but at around £50 a bottle that just won't happen . I couldn't justify spending that kind of money either, although I could pretty much run for his less expensive but still impressive estate chardonnay in today's pick.
It made me wonder again why we aren't more excited about this versatile and sensual varietal, which produces some of the best white wines in the world. The answer most people find is simply that there were too many of them in the 1990s, and a lot of them weren't particularly good. However, the same could be said for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which is as popular as it's ever been.
It's there, I think , that lies the index. Sauvignon is an easy wine to drink before a meal or when you're not eating, but Chardonnay really needs food to show it at its best. In fact, if you took it against it, may I suggest you try it again with butter roast chicken, tarragon chicken pot pie, creamy mushroom risotto, or roasted corn or butternut squash? Wine that you may find too rich or cloying on its own will suddenly balance beautifully, especially if you serve it chilled (say 13-14C), rather than fiercely cold.
Still strong? Look for wine regions that have cooler climates, often with a coastal influence. Limari in Chile (The Wine Society offers private label at a good price), Sonoma in California, Hemel en Aarde in South Africa and the Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania in Australia, as well as Margaret River (see today's pick) .
Chablis, although far from the sea, is also leaner and more mineral thanks to its northern location, much like English Chardonnay – which, at its best, develops that much-admired “struck-match” – a descriptor that I think makes no sense to anyone outside of the wine trade. Just think lightly smoky.
Then there's champagne, which isn't generally considered an expression of chardonnay, but most blanc de blancs share the glorious creaminess of their counterparts yet. My God, you might even find you like chardonnay after all.
Deer Point Chardonnay 2021 €5.85 Cabins, 12%. A deliciously smooth and creamy Bulgarian Chardonnay that you might mistake for one to twice the price. type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.EmbedBlockElement" class="dcr-10khgmf"/>
The other day I tasted a brilliant chardonnay. Australian, not French in this case, even if he could easily have passed for a Meursault. It was crafted by Virginia Willcock of Vasse Felix, located in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, who made a specialty of the variety, and it was her premium Heytesbury Chardonnay.
In an ideal world I would like anyone who is skeptical of Chardonnay, especially Australian Chardonnay, to taste Willcock's, but at around £50 a bottle that just won't happen . I couldn't justify spending that kind of money either, although I could pretty much run for his less expensive but still impressive estate chardonnay in today's pick.
It made me wonder again why we aren't more excited about this versatile and sensual varietal, which produces some of the best white wines in the world. The answer most people find is simply that there were too many of them in the 1990s, and a lot of them weren't particularly good. However, the same could be said for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which is as popular as it's ever been.
It's there, I think , that lies the index. Sauvignon is an easy wine to drink before a meal or when you're not eating, but Chardonnay really needs food to show it at its best. In fact, if you took it against it, may I suggest you try it again with butter roast chicken, tarragon chicken pot pie, creamy mushroom risotto, or roasted corn or butternut squash? Wine that you may find too rich or cloying on its own will suddenly balance beautifully, especially if you serve it chilled (say 13-14C), rather than fiercely cold.
Still strong? Look for wine regions that have cooler climates, often with a coastal influence. Limari in Chile (The Wine Society offers private label at a good price), Sonoma in California, Hemel en Aarde in South Africa and the Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania in Australia, as well as Margaret River (see today's pick) .
Chablis, although far from the sea, is also leaner and more mineral thanks to its northern location, much like English Chardonnay – which, at its best, develops that much-admired “struck-match” – a descriptor that I think makes no sense to anyone outside of the wine trade. Just think lightly smoky.
Then there's champagne, which isn't generally considered an expression of chardonnay, but most blanc de blancs share the glorious creaminess of their counterparts yet. My God, you might even find you like chardonnay after all.
Deer Point Chardonnay 2021 €5.85 Cabins, 12%. A deliciously smooth and creamy Bulgarian Chardonnay that you might mistake for one to twice the price. type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.EmbedBlockElement" class="dcr-10khgmf"/>
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